Fence



(N0 Model.)

J. W. READ.

FENCE.

JGNO. 325,444. Patented-Sept. 1, 1885.

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ATTORNEYS,

N4 PETERS, PllMo-Lxlhagnphur. wnmmgm n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries,

JOHN V. READ, OF WEST SALEM, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,444, datedSeptember 1, 1885.

' Application filcdMarch 3i,'1855. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN XV. READ, of Vest Salem, in the county oflVayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Fence, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fences, and has for its object to promote thestability and durability of such structures and lessen the cost ofmaking, erecting, or removing them.

The invention consists in particular constructions and combinations ofparts of the fence, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a side elevation of a section of a fence embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the fence, takenon the line :0 m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View ofpart of one of the hangers which support the lower boards or rails ofthe fence from its top boards or rails.

The main supports A of the fence consist of opposite side bars or posts,a a, connected near their lower ends by a cross bar, a. The posts a aconverge upward, and their upper ends stand apart for a distanceequaling the thickness of the lapped ends of two aligned boards orrails, I3 13, of the fence, and the opposite braces, O G, which rangedown opposite sides of the fence boards or rails, so that when a metalbar or rod, D, is passed through the posts a a and braces O G,and theends (I d of bar I) are turned down on the outer faces of posts a a, therails B B will be supported on the bar I), and will be clamped firmlybetween the braces G C, which in turn will be clamped by the beveledupper ends of the posts a a.

The tie'bar D may be passed through the ends of the rails, if desired 5but I prefer. to rest the rails upon the bar,-as the rails then retaintheir full strength for holding up the lower rails by means of thehangers presently described.

For anchoring the lencesupports A to the ground, I employ the stakes EE, connected to stout galvanized wires F F, which wires are connectedone to each of the posts a a, near their lower ends, in any suitableway' say by eyes at the tops of the wires entering eyes or staples fdriven into the posts a and in setting the anchors E F, I drive thestakes E into the ground below the frost'line, and so that the wires Fwill be drawn upon by the stakes to hold the feet of posts a upon orslightly embedded in the ground, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

As the stakes are inexpensive and are driven without first digging ahole in the earth, the anchors may very cheaply be made and set inplace; and by driving the stakes considerably below the ground-surfacethe frost will have little or no effect to displace the fence, as willreadily be understood.

The intermediate rails, B B, and bottom rails, B of the fence aresupported with their overlapped ends, respectively, between the braces GG, by sectional hangers H, one of which is partly shown in Fig. 3.

The hangers H consist of an upper section, H, of strong wire, bent uponitself and formed with hooks or open loops h h at the ends, and a lowersection havinga loop or eye, h, at its upper end, into which the uppersection, H, is passed, and the section H hasshort bends 0r half-loops itformed in it, and over each of the bends If is placed a button, I, whichis link-shaped and preferably is bent flatwise into concavo-convex formto avoid too short bends of the wires H The buttons I form with thebends 7L2 complete eyes, in which are confined the loops or eyes j ofthe tie-wires J, by which the overlapping ends of the aligned lowerrails are bound together, as presently explained. At its lower extremitythe hangersect-ion H is bent upon itself to form an eye, 71?, to confinethe eyejof the tie-wire J for thelowest rails,B".

In hanging the intermediate and lower rails, B B from the top rails, B,the hanger-section H will be passed around the overlapped ends of rails13, and preferably so as to range diagonally, or so that opposite sideparts of the section H will stand at opposite faces of the supports A,and the books h h of the hanger will be interlocked above the rails B.The ends of the next lower rails, B, will then be passed between thebraces O G and above the buttons 1, so that the tie-wires J, held toheld between the braces G C and below the cross-bars a of the supportsA, the wires J being twisted around the hanger-section H When theopposite braces, O 0, line vertically with the bars a a and with eachother, the lower ends of both the braces will be bound by a wire to thelower rails, B, and the crossbar a; but at every third or fourth panelof the fence I swing one of a pair of the braces say the brace G-offdiagonally and secure it by nails or screws 0 to the intermediate andlower rails, B B", and in this case the tie-wire K will be bound aroundthe lower end of brace O and the bar a and rails B, as in Fig. 2. Thediagonal braces C may of course be swung on the bars D as pivots toeither side of the supports A, as desired.

I extend one of the rail-braces of each support A a sufficient distanceabove the supports to string one or more wires, L, along them toincrease the height of the fence to any desired extent, the wiresL-either barbed or plain being fastened to the braces O in any approvedway.

Where the hanger-wire H passes between the lapped ends of the suspendedrails, the rails may be cut out to receive it, and also to receive suchparts of the half-loops 7L2 and buttons I as may lie between therail-faces, so that the rails may be bound closely together by the wiresJ.

A central brace, M, may be fixed to the rails of each panel of thefence, if desired.

The advantages of the sectional rail-hangers H over the hangers shown inmy United States Patent No. 285,67 7 granted September 25, 1883, aretwofoldfirst, the joint at h of the hanger-sections H H allows thesupport of the lower rails from the top rails without straining orcutting the hanger upon the top rails when the fence-panels vibrateslightly in wind-storms, hence the hanger will be less liable to break;and, secondly, the eyes formed by slight bends of the hanger-wires at hand the buttons I leave the hangers much stronger to support thesuspended rails by the tie-wires than when the eyes are formed by makingcomplete turns or twists of the hangerwires, as shown in the aforesaidpatent.

It is evident that the fence will stand firmly in heavy winds, and maybe made, set up, and removed quickly and easily and at reasonable cost.

I am aware that barbs have been secured by means of a concavedbutton-link and a bend in the'wire to which the barbs are attached, andI therefore do not claim such invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a fence, of the supports A, constructed withposts a a, connected by bar a, the braces '0 O, rods D,-passed throughposts a a, and braces C Q, hangers suspending the lower rails from thetop rails, and tie-wires K, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a fence, of supports A, braces O G, rods D, toprails, B, hangers suspending lower rails from rails B, tie-wires K, andanchors consisting of stakes E, connected by wires F to opposite posts aa of supports A, and driven into the ground, substantially as herein setforth.

3. The combination, in a fence, of supports A, braces O O, rods D, toprails, B, hangers supporting lower rails from rails B, (one of thebraces, 0, being secured diagonally to the lower fence-rails,) andtie-wires K, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, in a fence, of supports A, braces O 0, rods D, toprails, B, hangers supporting lower rails from rails B, (one of thebraces, 0, being secured diagonally to the lower fence-rails,) thetie-wires K, and anchors consisting of stakes E, connected by wires]? toposts a a of supports A, and driven into the ground, substantially asherein set forth.

5. The combination, in a fence, of supports A, braces O G, rods D, toprails, B, and hangers supporting lower rails from rails B, one of theopposite pair of braces at the supports A being extended above rails B,and wires L, connected to said extended braces, substantially as hereinset forth.

6. The combination, with the supports or posts and top rails of a fence,of hangers for the lower rails, consisting of two sections, the lowersection having an eye in its upper end, and the upper section bent uponitself and passed through the eye of the lower section, substantially asherein shown and described.

7. The combination, with the supports or posts and top rails of thefence, of hangers H, comprising two sections, H H connected by an eye,It, and said section H having hook ends h 71, substantially as hereinset forth.

8. The rail-hanger made with short bends forming half-loops h, incombination with button-links I, slipped over the half-loops If, andtie-wires J, attached in loops substantially as herein set forth.

9. The rail-hanger made with short bends forming half-loops h incombination with button-links I, concaved flatwise and slipped overthehalf-loops, and tie-wires J, attached in loops h substantially asherein set forth.

IIO

10. As an improved article of manufacture,

JOHN W. READ.

WVitncsses:

J. B. HENLEY, E. W. MOFADDEN.

